


Envelop 2.0

by porcelainepeony



Series: Hugsaku [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Datastormshipping, Ficlet Collection, Ficlets, Hugsaku 2021, M/M, RyoSaku, aiballshipping, aiyusa, firestormshipping, hugsaku, takeyusa, wisteriashipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29639988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainepeony/pseuds/porcelainepeony
Summary: I'm not good with titles, so I'm reusing the title from the last hugsaku event. XD;; Yea, I know, real creativity right here.HURRAH FOR #HUGSAKU2021! This year, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE TWO FICLETS A DAY SOB! These fics are mostly shippy, though some more than others. Chapter 1 is a more comprehensive Table of Contents page, with ratings, prompts, and other warnings, so please read it (but I did include all this information in each chapter as well). Ships and characters will be listed below as I update.As always, thank you for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! <3 Y'all are wonderful!Day 1, Chapter 2: Ignis!Ai/YusakuDay 2, Chapter 3: Ryoken/YusakuDay 3, Chapter 4: Takeru/YusakuDay 4, Chapter 5: Spectre/YusakuDay 5, Chapter 6: Ignis!Ai/YusakuDay 6, Chapter 7: SOLtis!Ai/Yusaku
Relationships: Ai | Ignis/Fujiki Yuusaku, Fujiki Yuusaku/Homura Takeru, Fujiki Yuusaku/Revolver | Kougami Ryouken, Fujiki Yuusaku/Spectre
Series: Hugsaku [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177931
Comments: 25
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Hugsaku 2021**

Day 1, Chapter 2: Hugtacles; Ai/Yusaku (aiballshipping); rated G; takes place sometime in S1; Ai cuddles Yusaku with tentacles uwu

Day 2, Chapter 3: Cathartic hugging/loosely “I don’t want your help”; Ryoken/Yusaku (datastormshipping); rated T (16+) for mentions of sex; nothing explicit but the banging happened; angsty but they cuddle; post-canon so be wary of spoilers

Day 3, Chapter 4: Sleep hug; Takeru/Yusaku (firestormshipping); rated G; Takeru has a bad crush

Day ~~5~~ 4, Chapter 5: Awkward Hugs; Spectre/Yusaku (wisteriashipping); rated M to be safe; I apparently like these two screwing around in the background oops; references to sex; angst; some sort of established relationship but not really; post S2 spoilers; could be one-sided Spectre -> Yusaku

Day ~~6~~ 5, Chapter 6: Touch-starved; Ai/Yusaku (aiballshipping); Uh rated T? It's just a bit dark and sad; post-canon; Yusaku suffers; also he's quite aged-up; there’s a happy ending, I promise!

Day 6, Chapter 7: Seeking shelter; Ai/Yusaku (aiballshipping); Rated G; post-canon but no spoilers; fluff


	2. Chapter 2

**Word Count:** ~970  
 **Rating:** G  
 **Pairing/Characters:** Hugtacles — Ai/Yusaku (aiballshipping)  
 **Notes:** Ai cuddles Yusaku with tentacles uwu

xxx

Ai swore Yusaku hated umbrellas. Or perhaps he didn’t own one. Maybe the only one he had was lying forgotten in the corner of his closet beneath a pile of dirty laundry. Whatever the reason, Yusaku always got caught in the rain, and Ai hated it. Not the light rain. The heavy rain, with the droplets the size of Ai's head—too big and heavy for a small ignis. Those were the storms Ai dreaded getting caught in, not because the rain could drown him, but because Yusaku slowed his stride each time it stormed, as if purposefully wanting to dampen Ai’s cheery disposition.

“You’re soaked,” Ai commented, cheeks inflated. He was going for a pouty look but realized too late that Yusaku wasn’t paying attention. Rude!

“Mm,” was the only reply Ai received.

Ai wondered what he had done to get stuck with the least social human being on the planet, but the sound of fabric shuffling caught his attention.

Yusaku’s wet school jacket was tossed over the chair, droplets releasing their hold on the sleeves and pooling on the seat and floor. Ai’s gaze traveled up, spotting Yusaku’s distant stare. There were days where Yusaku’s eyes shone with determination, vibrated with anger and vengeance. Few were the days Yusaku’s green gaze softened, revealing a tired, lonely teenager who had singlehandedly decided to carry the weight of Hanoi’s crimes on his frail shoulders.

Ai crossed his arms and sighed. “You just gonna stand there and have a staring contest with your bed? Don’t make me towel dry you!”

Yusaku blinked. Ai thought he saw tiny droplets bounce from Yusaku’s lashes, but he ignored them, opting to take matters into his own hands. Or rather tentacles.

The duel disk Ai called home danced on the desk, calling Yusaku’s attention, but Yusaku’s reaction was too slow, the words he intended to say faltering, tripping over his tongue.

Ai sprouted from the duel disk, body morphing into its data-consuming form. He hadn’t shown Yusaku this form in the real world, so perhaps that was why Yusaku’s eyes widened unnaturally. “Oi, don’t freak out so much,” Ai sang, smile big. Amused. Yusaku was good at hiding his emotions when he needed to, but when Ai surprised him, his emotions burst, painting every inch of his face beautifully. 

“What’re you--,“Yusaku managed. His damp hair clung to his forehead. Temples. Cheeks. Neck. He looked like a wet cat, but the disheveled appearance was enchanting in a way. Maybe even a little cute. 

Ai shook his head and placed two tentacles on what he pretended were his hips. “I’m taking care of you!” He answered, reaching for the towel Yusaku had managed to grab before setting down his duel disk and school bag. One of Ai’s free limbs casually wrapped around Yusaku’s waist and pulled. Hard. He wanted Yusaku to lose his footing. Wanted Yusaku to come toppling into him. Instead, Yusaku managed to stay upright, but his hands collided with Ai’s body.

“I can dry myself off,” Yusaku muttered, slightly irritated. Slightly. There was another emotion hidden within the words. Something softer. Something neither Yusaku nor Ai cared to decipher.

“You’re terrible at taking care of yourself,” Ai snidely poked, bringing the towel to Yusaku’s cheek. With a tenderness he didn’t know he possessed, Ai tapped at Yusaku’s face, trailing the towel up into Yusaku’s hair. Yusaku’s hands were still pressed into Ai’s body, but the pressure was gone. They now rested comfortably against Ai, fingertips lightly dragging against what would’ve been Ai’s chest had he been a human.

Tossing that silly idea out of his head, Ai continued to pat Yusaku dry, carefully watching the way Yusaku allowed his eyes to drift shut. He remained upright, however, leaning only when Ai began to ruffle the back of his head.

“Don’t humans catch viruses when they’re wet?” Ai asked, his voice a little softer than usual.

“Not always,” Yusaku replied. He looked frail in Ai’s hold, as if a flood had knocked down his walls and snuffed his soul. 

Ai tossed the towel. It wouldn’t help dry Yusaku any more than it already had. Wrapping all his tentacles around Yusaku wouldn’t help with drying him off either, but at the very least, Ai could keep Yusaku warm, never mind earn him a very confused stare. 

“What’re you doing now?” 

“The towel’s drenched!” Ai huffed, acting the role of a concerned caretaker. There was no way he would allow Playmaker to catch a cold, so he did what little he could and wove around Yusaku’s frame, careful not to squeeze him too tightly. 

A soft gasp fluttered past Yusaku’s lips, but he allowed Ai’s touch, almost leaned into it. 

Almost. 

“There! We don’t want our hero getting sick! Not before he catches Revolver, hmm?”

Yusaku’s head was titled downward, gaze avoiding Ai’s. Ai grinned, thoroughly please with himself, until he noticed the blush dusting Yusaku’s cheeks. 

_Am I too late? Is he sick??_

Ai moved a tentacle to Yusaku’s forehead, forcing Yusaku's head back, emerald eyes locking onto a golden stare. “You don’t feel warm...”

“Be quiet,” Yusaku muttered, the rosiness spreading. 

“But you’re flushed! Unless--” Ai gasped. Blinked. Somehow grinned wider. “You like this?”

“No.”

“You do!”

“I said be quiet.”

A giggle. “Yusaku-chan’s a romantic!”

Yusaku narrowed his eyes, no doubt about to unleash a stern insult, but Ai cut him off. Using a tentacle to cup Yusaku’s cheek, Ai tightened his hold and gave Yusaku a gentle squeeze. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll warm you up in no time, Yusaku-chan!” Ai chirped, expecting some sassy comeback. 

It never came. Instead, Yusaku sighed. Closed his eyes. Leaned into the touch once more. 

Ai felt his body warm, as if soaking under the sun, and squeezed just a little tighter. 

Perhaps getting caught in a storm wasn’t so bad after all. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Word Count:** ~760  
 **Rating:** T (16+) for mentions of sex; nothing explicit, but the banging happened  
 **Pairing/Characters:** Cathartic hugging/loosely “I don’t want your help” — Ryoken/Yusaku (datastormshipping)  
 **Notes:** Angsty but they cuddle (hurt-comfort); post-canon so be wary of spoilers

xxx

They were lying in the same bed together in silence, a direct consequence of allowing themselves a moment to feel something that wasn’t regret or pain. Yet with every breath Yusaku took, Ryoken realized it wasn’t regret nor pain that permitted their minds to forget everything that had transpired between them, everything that went down with Ai, everything—the long days and worry and wonder—that followed that fated duel. 

Ryoken had allowed their collision. Had allowed Yusaku to come crashing back into his life after leaving to search for Ai. Had allowed Yusaku to locate him after disappearing for months with no communication. Ryoken always knew Yusaku would return, but he hadn’t expected the knock on his door at two in the morning, much less the broken look of failure lining his lips and eyes, soaking his lashes and cheeks. 

Whatever words they shared—if any—, Ryoken had already forgotten them, his memories, instead, etched with the sound of Yusaku’s gasps and his own moans reverberating within his chest. It wasn’t like Yusaku to get lost in the comfort of sensation—of skimming Ryoken’s skin with his palms, of trailing his lips along Ryoken’s jaw, of swallowing Ryoken’s sighs. It wasn’t like Ryoken either, but his heart had not been able stop the ache that resonated within his chest, begging him to wrap his arms around the shivering mess on his doorstep.

Instead of a hug, Ryoken had awkwardly pulled Yusaku against him and shut the door.

Expressing his feelings through words was never Ryoken’s strong point, but actions never failed. Until they did. Until all he had been able to do was cup Yusaku’s cheeks and get lost in emerald-stained eyes. 

That wasn’t enough to save Yusaku. Ryoken knew that. But for that moment, Yusaku hadn’t care, and Ryoken hadn’t either. There had been enough clarity in Ryoken’s thoughts—in his suffocating kisses and wandering caresses—, but darkness shrouded his eyes to what Yusaku really needed. What he had probably hoped to find by seeking out the one person who would vow to destroy the ignis if any of them ever reappeared again. 

Yusaku sighed heavily, shifting beneath the blanket. 

“How long have you been awake?” Ryoken asked, eyes glued to the ceiling, bare chest rising and falling slowly. Steadily. He couldn’t afford anything else, not when the one person who had always stood before him like an unmovable pillar was threatening to crumble. 

“Am I?” Yusaku replied, voice soft. Despite being buried in blankets, he sunk deeper into the fortress he had built himself, whispering an added, “Isn’t this all a nightmare?”

Ryoken bit his lip, but played his own card in an attempt to awaken Yusaku from his momentary weakness. Because that’s all this was—a fleeting moment of vulnerability, for the Playmaker Ryoken knew would never give up, no matter the intensity of the storm. “You’ll find an answer soon, and you’ll find him too.”

“Ai’s gone. There’s no trace of him left,” were the dismal words that fluttered past Ryoken’s ears. His heart broke. For the dark ignis. For Yusaku. For all of them. Everyone single one of them still wrapped in his father’s crime. 

Turning onto his side, Ryoken placed an arm atop Yusaku. “Ho? Giving up? That’s not like you, Playmaker,” he whispered, wrapping his arm around him, pulling the lump of human and blankets closer. He couldn’t remember the last time he had hugged someone—the last time someone hugged him—but he thought it had been his mother, and he thought it had made him feel better, made him forget the nightmare and the monsters in the dark. 

Yusaku melted. Released all his emotions in one long sigh. Allowed the embrace. Permitted Ryoken to snake his other arm beneath him to hold him so tightly, their bodies would have fused had the blankets not been in the way. 

Ah, there it was. What Ryoken should have done last night when he opened the door to find Yusaku. It was the connection he craved since they were both children. The one thing he had wanted to do so badly but had resisted because their paths would only ever run parallel. 

“So what’s our next move,” Ryoken continued, watching Yusaku relax, watching him close his eyes. 

“I don’t remember asking for your help,” Yusaku replied. When he opened his eyes again, the light shone brilliantly in pools of green. “I’ll find Ai on my own.”

Ryoken smiled, “And if you fail to control him, I will destroy him.” 

Yusaku returned the smile and nodded.

Until that day came, Ryoken’s arms would remain entangled in blankets. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Word Count:** ~590  
 **Rating:** G  
 **Pairing/Characters:** Sleep hug — Takeru/Yusaku (firestormshipping)  
 **Notes:** Takeru has a bad crush

xxx

Takeru furrowed his brows, watching what began as light snow but was threatening to become a full on blizzard take form outside the window. The snow hadn’t bothered him much, until a mass text message alert echoed inside Yusaku’s room, warning them to the storm’s fury and the power outages across most of Den City. 

“You can sleep over,” Yusaku offered, a slight shiver running down his body. Yusaku had only a small space heater that doubled as a vacuum, two bedsheets, and a thin comforter to keep warm. “Did you want to finish homework?”

Homework was the least of Takeru’s worries now. Instead, calamity sprung within Takeru’s gut when he realized Yusaku’s room was not the only thing they’d be sharing, unless he could come up with a remarkable excuse to run through a blizzard. “You sure?” He asked, but Yusaku didn’t reply, for Ai beat him to the punch. 

“He’s tired of sleeping alone and wants you to keep him warm~!”

“Be quiet,” Yusaku stammered before handing Takeru a hoodie. “You don’t have to stay. It’ll get colder in here than outside. But the trains will stop running.”

Besides the faint giggling coming from their duel disks, all Takeru could hear was the drumming in his chest. “Thanks,” he replied softly, fingers taking note of the rough fabric. It smelled nice, at least, like detergent and wisteria, like the sweetness of an innocent crush wrapping its arms around Takeru’s waist. 

Hours after the sun set and after consuming the hottest cups of ramen they could make in the shared kitchen, Yusaku turned to Takeru, green gaze vibrant, despite his obvious cold, stiff fingers and sad red nose. “I can sleep on the floor.”

“What? No! It’s your bed,” Takeru blurted, panic not quite setting in but treading too close to his heart. 

“I don’t have extra blankets.”

Takeru would rather freeze than put Yusaku through the anguish of shivering on the floor. “I’ll be okay with Roboppi,” he insisted, wearing a big, crooked smile. 

Before Yusaku could answer, Ai’s straightforward solution bounced off the walls. “You’ll both be warmer in bed. Together. Right, Flame?”

“Mm, agreed. Humans need to keep warm,” Flame nodded, sounding reasonable enough.

The fact that Yusaku complied with barely a shrug left Takeru’s cheeks tinted pink, but he went along with the plan, set Flame and his glasses beside Ai on the desk, and climbed into bed beside Yusaku, wearing Yusaku’s borrowed hoodie. The blizzard kept the window busy, gusts knocking into the worn panels, serenading Takeru as he watched Yusaku in the darkness. Yusaku was close enough to Takeru that Takeru felt the faint shivers coursing down Yusaku’s body. 

“I need a real heater,” Yusaku whispered, though Takeru was unsure if he said it to himself or to whoever may have been listening. 

“We can get closer,” Takeru offered, but quickly lost his nerve. “I-I-I mean... if you’re c-c-cold...”

The shuffling of the blankets was drowned out by Roboppi’s humming, but the cold legs that pressed against Takeru’s were enough of a reply. And it was the only reply Takeru would receive, for as soon as Yusaku found refuge against Takeru’s slightly warmer frame, his breathing slowed. 

A smile tugged at Takeru’s lips. He hated to think of Yusaku shivering in a cold room all by himself, but at least for the night, Takeru could offer an additional source of heat. “Good night, Yusaku,” Takeru murmured, wrapping an arm around Yusaku, half embracing him, half serving as a makeshift blanket. 

In the darkness, Takeru couldn’t see the smile on Yusaku’s sleeping face. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I’m going out of order, but I’m smart and decided to write a whole AU for one of the prompts for Day 4, and it isn’t done. IT’S GROWING SOB! I’m gonna have to push Day 4 to the end xD So y’all get Day 5 instead! 💖

**Word Count:** ~830  
 **Rating:** M (to be safe; they're screwing around in the background, so all the smutty stuff is just a reference)  
 **Pairing/Characters:** Awkward Hugs — Spectre/Yusaku (wisteriashipping)  
 **Notes:** Angst; some sort of established relationship but not really; post S2 spoilers; could be one-sided Spectre -> Yusaku

xxx

Theirs was strictly physical. A mistake Specter kept repeating yet continued to bait. A curiosity Yusaku unravelled and consumed without a care to see its end. Neither expected to wind up tangled in each other’s limbs, Yusaku moaning “ _Spectre_ ” in a beautifully needy rhythm, while Spectre buried himself into Yusaku’s warmth and dug his nails into Yusaku’s hips. 

That’s all their relationship amounted to. Nights when Spectre would show up at Yusaku’s door. Nights when Sprectre would slam Yusaku against a wall, hard,—Spectre liked to watch the sprinkle of surprise and pain wash Yusaku’s features. Nights when Yusaku would clamp his teeth down on Spectre’s shoulder and cling onto him like there was nothing—no one—else who could anchor him to this world. And after they both came, half-unwilling to speak, much less pull the other closer the way they supposed lovers did, Spectre would take his leave, not once looking back to see if Yusaku closed the door immediately or stood by and watched him walk away. 

They never put an end to their game. Not verbally anyway. Yusaku had other priorities—saving the world was supposedly time-consuming, but what would Spectre know—and Spectre was okay with that. He didn’t need Yusaku to feel alive. Didn’t care if Yusaku finally forgot him in favor of hunting Bohman and saving the ignis. Spectre had his mission. His priorities. His life. He could do fine without pinning Yusaku against the mattress, without slamming their lips together and drinking Yusaku’s moans, without feeling Yusaku squirm beneath him, hips feebly trying to match Spectre's desperately chaotic pace. 

For whatever reason, when the dark ignis left Yusaku, Spectre took it upon himself to seek Yusaku out. 

Yusaku’s building complex was by far the dingiest place Spectre had ever seen, but when Yusaku appeared down the hall, school bag in hand, green eyes momentarily widening, Spectre forgot about the dust and chipped paint and wondered how starlight got caught in Yusaku’s eyes. 

“You’ve been hard to find, Playmaker,” Spectre crooned, back leaning casually against the wall. “I thought, if anyone could find a way back onto the network, it would be you.”

Yusaku opened his door, not sparing a single glance in Spectre direction. “It’s shut down. There’s no reason for me to log on.”

Spectre raised a brow, following Yusaku inside. “Oh? Is it because you’re afraid of what you’ll find?”

A tinge of sadness lined Yusaku’s eyes, but Spectre dismissed the observation, did not care to entertain it. 

Yusaku shook his head. Kept his gaze averted. “I’m afraid of what I’m missing.”

It was odd to hear Yusaku being so open. So forward with his feelings. Typically, he was quiet. Reserved. Hard to read. Spectre liked that about Yusaku. Liked studying his facial expressions. Mannerisms. The words he never said aloud but so obviously felt. It was more fun to guess what Yusaku was thinking than hearing him utter trivial nonsense. 

“He’s not dead, you know,” Spectre shrugged, then brought a hand to his chest. “You’d feel it. The hole left in your chest.”

Yusaku’s eyes widened just enough for Spectre to note a trace of sadness. Pity was perhaps easier to accept. He didn’t need Yusaku’s empathy. The loss of Earth was something Spectre had already made peace with. It was Yusaku he now wanted to--

Wanted to what? What did Spectre want anyway? There was nothing between them. Nothing but some half-kindled attraction they both—Yusaku—could do without. They weren’t boyfriends. They weren’t even friends. If anything, they were two bored idiots linked by the same crime and nothing more. 

Still, Spectre kept his gaze on Yusaku, fingertips tingling, heart beating wildly. 

“You’re not here to talk to me about the ignis,” Yusaku observed, somehow reading Spectre’s thoughts. Yusaku was right though. Talking about Earth wasn’t the reason he was there. Neither was he there to berate Yusaku, nor push him against a wall. Perhaps, initially, Spectre meant to drown himself in Yusaku’s warmth, in the dulcet sound of his moans. Instead, he worked up the nerve and reached for Yusaku’s wrist, almost missing twice, then pulled Yusaku into his arms. 

The hug was strange. Awkward. They both knew it. Neither of them was meant for hugging. Neither of them knew embraces were designed to comfort and protect. Yet Spectre tried. Tried to offer what little he had in hopes of filling Yusaku’s loneliness. 

“What’re you doing?” Yusaku asked softly, pulling back just enough to look into Spectre’s eyes. 

Spectre’s muscles tensed. His breath caught in his throat. A blush crept up his cheeks, but he put on his best offended expression to hide his intentions. “What do you think I’m doing?” Spectre retorted, snorting. His arms were still woven around Yusaku’s waist, surprisingly soft, half-expecting Yusaku to back away. 

Yusaku didn’t reply, but rather brought his arms up and returned the embrace as best he could. They weren’t made to fit each other, but they both knew that. For the meantime, though, Spectre was perfectly content keeping Yusaku in his arms. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Word Count:** ~1360  
**Rating:** T  
**Pairing/Characters:** Touch-starved — Ai/Yusaku (aiballshipping)  
**Notes:** A bit dark and sad; post-canon; Yusaku suffers; also he's quite aged-up; there’s a happy ending, I promise!

xxx

The light flickered on slowly, its low buzzing reminding Yusaku he needed to fix the wiring. He had put it off for years, just like he had put off fixing the leaking pipe in his bathroom and the broken cleaning robot he once called Roboppi. 

The door shut softly behind him. Immediately, he reached back with one hand, fingers meeting the first lock, the second lock, the third lock. When the door was secured, Yusaku kicked off his shoes and waded through the dimly lit apartment to his desk, dropping his bag of conbini snacks and iced coffee beside his computer. 

Twenty-two years, five months, two weeks, and four days had passed since Ai disappeared in Playmaker’s arms. Since Yusaku, too, disappeared. When he set out to look for Ai’s data, Yusaku hadn’t realized just how long it would take him to find Ai, much less piece him back together, much less reprogram him in hopes he remembered who Yusaku was. Ai’s data wasn’t just scattered throughout the network—it was incomplete, slowly self-destructing, slowly eating away important bits of information. 

Yusaku knew why Ai chose the path he had taken, but he refused to give up on Ai. He didn’t care about simulations. They weren’t real. There was no way they could account for free will. For human emotion. For the crazy things humans did and the lengths humans travelled for the ones they cherished. 

Taking a seat, Yusaku booted his computer. The light from the two screens blinded him for a minute. Yusaku winced, slowly blinking away the haze, rubbing one eye for good measure. He didn’t have time to waste. Not today. Not when he had finally extracted the last bit of Ai’s data from the pile of rubbish destroying itself. Yusaku had spent the previous night uploading Ai’s program into a new drive. All that was left was this one piece. 

An error message flickered on the screen. Yusaku dismissed it and tried to decode the data again, letting a different program run. Grabbing a can of coffee, he opened it and downed half of it before another error message appeared. This time, before he was able to terminate the action, his computer screens turned black. A string of code ran across the top, flashing bright. 

“What the...”

Setting the coffee aside, Yusaku typed a set of commands, aiming to reboot his system. 

A pop. The screens turned off. The lights in the apartment follow suit, leaving only moonlight to shower the room. 

Yusaku stared blankly at the shadow of his reflection before gritting his teeth hard. Panic didn’t set in though, until he realized he couldn’t turn his computer back on, no matter how many times he pressed and tapped and held down the power button. 

It was unlike him to punch anything, but the desk was the closest thing Yusaku could hurt without destroying his hardware. He was angry—mostly at himself, but also at how things turned out. At how he couldn’t save his first friend. His partner. The only being he had ever felt truly connected to. And he was devastated, torn between giving up and trying to move forward despite having been stagnant for more than two decades or remaining the recluse he had become and continuing to work on bringing Ai back to life even though...

Yusaku frowned. Blinked slowly. Directed his gaze to the unmoving android sitting neatly beside his desk. Green eyes traced Ai’s face and hair, then settled on Ai’s hands resting neatly atop his lap. Yusaku had placed them there after dragging Ai’s body back to his flat all those years ago, and there they had remained, unchanged by time, so unlike Yusaku’s hands, so unlike Yusaku’s skin now kissed with wrinkles. 

The frown on Yusaku’s face grew. Pulled painfully at Yusaku’s lips. Yusaku closed his eyes before the tears could escape and met his forehead to the desk. Loneliness was an intimate companion of his, but the tears were rare. He had emptied himself of those the day he defeated Ai. The day Ai had told him he loved him. 

Yusaku was not sure how long he sat there, waiting for the lights to return, for the computer to turn on. He didn’t have the energy—the will—to move, to eat, to bathe. He just waited, in and out of sleep, hoping to hear the buzzing of his lamp or the humming of his hard drive. Instead, a voice pierced through the silence. 

“Is something wrong, Yusaku-chan?”

Green eyes flickered open. When the blur of sleep faded, his legs and the floor came into view. His mouth was parched, but he was too afraid to reach for the coffee he knew was sitting by his mouse. Too afraid his trembling hand would knock the can over and cause his computer to short circuit. 

Breathing in slowly, Yusaku ran his tongue along his bottom lip, then his top lip. His shuddering breath was loud in his ears, but he tried to breathe out slowly, for the sake of suppressing his racing heart. 

“Yusaku?” The voice repeated. 

Yusaku sat up, green eyes wide. His body was shivering, hands shaking, though he was unsure if the cause was excitement or anxiety. All he knew was that he recognized the voice! Recognized the loud, pestering timber and the almost gentle way it uttered his name. 

Ai—the android—remained in the same position it had been in for years, arms and legs stiff, eyes closed, lips shut. 

“But,” Yusaku mumbled, face contorting into something painful, a reflection of his desperation and shattered hope. Was he imagining things? Hearing voices again?

“Yusaku. Hey! Have you grown deaf with age? Down here!”

As the words registered in Yusaku’s mind, green eyes fell to his duel disk. Yusaku had kept it wedged between his two monitors, connected to his CPU in an effort to extract whatever data may have survived within its drive. It never occurred to him that the duel disk would come to life, and the last thing he expected was to see first a familiar eye blink, then a small head poke out from its screen. 

“Finally,” Ai huffed, gold eyes meeting Yusaku’s. “I was worried you passed out from another sleepless night. You really gotta stop pulling all-nighters. They’re terrible at your age.”

“Ai,” Yusaku whispered, fingers still shaking. His vision was blurry, emeralds drowning in waves. He thought maybe he was hallucinating—it wouldn’t be the first time—but he didn’t want Ai to disappear. Not so soon. Not ever again, if he could only hold onto him. 

“Yusaku,” Ai repeated, seemingly reading Yusaku’s mind. That was the only warning Ai offered before extending his arms and throwing himself forward, straight into Yusaku’s chest. 

Yusaku’s hands came up to cup Ai’s small body, holding him close to his heart as Ai tried his hardest to wrap his arms around Yusaku’s neck. A sigh escaped Yusaku, eyes drifting shut, head leaning down to smother Ai. The feeling of touching another was foreign—how long had it been since Yusaku let even another human being near him?—, but it was the most comforting thing Yusaku had ever experienced. So comforting that Yusaku thought he could close his eyes and slumber for an eternity in that tiny embrace. 

“You’re persistent. You gotta stop putting others first,” Ai broke the silence, nuzzling his head against Yusaku’s jaw before finally releasing his grip. 

Looking down at Ai, Yusaku offered a sad smile. “You wouldn’t be here if I did that.”

Even without a mouth, Yusaku could tell Ai was frowning. “That was the point,” Ai retorted, then reached up to cup Yusaku’s cheeks. “You did it, okay? I’m here. You can rest now.”

“I can rest later,” Yusaku fired back. 

Ai puffed his cheeks. “I won’t leave,” he assured, reaching for one of Yusaku’s sideburns. Then, as if to seal the words in a promise, Ai nuzzled his face against Yusaku's lips. 

It was the reassurance Yusaku needed. The relief his body had desired for years. The second change at a life with Ai he had dreamed about.

Gently, Yusaku returned the kiss and smiled. They could talk—exist side by side, lie back and do nothing, log onto LINK VRAINS and run away from everyone and everything—in the morning. For the time being, Yusaku listened to Ai and found comfort in his bed beside Ai’s small frame. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last day of Hugsaku 2021! 
> 
> Big thanks to the host of this event! Yusaku needs all the hugs all the time!
> 
> And big thanks to everyone who read, commented, and left kudos!

**Word Count:** ~400  
 **Rating:** G  
 **Pairing/Characters:** Seeking shelter—Ai/Yusaku (aiballshipping)  
 **Notes:** I have a very good explanation as to why I'm not posting the AU I mentioned two chapters ago: IT'S REALLY LONG OKAY. So I wrote this ficlet instead and will share the AU soon (if anyone is interested). For now, have some AiYusa cuddles in bed. uwu I figured fluff was a good way to end the event!

xxx

“Come to bed,” Ai mumbled with a yawn, reaching a hand for Yusaku’s. Even though he didn’t need to sleep, Ai always made sure Yusaku got rest, especially on nights when Yusaku forgot to take care of himself and opted to study or write a paper or do research for a class.

“In a minute,” Yusaku replied, eyes focused on his computer screen. It was finals week, and he needed to finish editing his term paper before his next class in the morning.

Ai pouted, stretching enough to catch Yusaku’s hand in his. “You’ve been at it all night,” Ai countered, tugging Yusaku’s hand, rubbing finger pads against Yusaku's palm. “You’re not gonna fail.”

The gentle touch against Yusaku’s hand sent tiny shivers up his arm. The room wasn’t cold by any means, but Yusaku suddenly felt the need to find shelter in Ai's arms, to wrap himself up in a hoodie and blankets and lie in bed embraced by love.

”Yusaku-chaaaan,” Ai tried again, whiny, pouty.

A blush rose to Yusaku's cheeks, but he kept his face turned away from Ai's to avoid the teasing that would have surely begun had Ai spotted it. "Fine, but you have to wake me up in the morning," Yusaku caved, trying to keep a menacing tone in his voice. "I can't miss class this time."

Ai flailed his legs, securing his grip on Yusaku's hand. "Fine, fine! I'll wake you up," he promised, giving Yusaku's arm a firm yank. "But get in bed already. It's lonely!"

Yusaku stood. Not a second flickered by and Ai pulled, causing Yusaku to immediately fall on top of the SOLtis. 

Ai released a victorious laugh, wrapping his arms securely around Yusaku. 

"I mean it, Ai," Yusaku grumbled, letting his arms fall gently besides Ai's torso. The blush on his cheeks spread, staining his skin in a delicate pink hue. 

"Yea, yea, I'll wake you up at 7. Be quiet and go to sleep," Ai instructed, nuzzling his face into Yusaku's hair, burying his nose against Yusaku’s scalp.

Yusaku closed his eyes. Pressed his cheek closer to Ai's chest. Though he had no lungs, Ai's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, mechanical heart whirring, enticing Yusaku to sleep.

Ai tightened his hold on Yusaku and placed a soft kiss atop his head. The room fell silent. Yusaku sighed and dreamed of love. 


End file.
